Easy Mini Meatballs Recipe for Toddlers & Babies

If your toddler doesn’t love eating their green veggies straight up, try serving them in these yummy and easy mini meatballs recipe. They are moist, filled with classic Italian flavor, and make for a really nutritious toddler dinner!

Healthy Meatball Recipe

I don’t make a habit of hiding vegetables in foods since I want my kids to know what they are eating. But since I can’t yet convince my girl to eat sautéed greens or kale salad, these healthy toddler meatballs are a good alternative to serving up kale chips or green smoothies. We eat a lot of meatballs in our house and most of the time they include parsley—but it’s nice to change up the green from time to time. And know that the bar for these meatballs in our house is high thanks to my solid Italian-American background. Rest assured that these taste just as delicious as you expect them to!

Mini Meatballs with Spaghetti

You can serve these Whole Grain Mini Kale Meatballs over pasta, polenta, and even toast for open-face sandwiches and top with a little melted cheese. If your toddler isn’t totally on board with the texture of meat, you can mash a few pieces up in warm marinara sauce to help them take small, more appealing tastes. This is also an excellent way to serve meatballs to babies.

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How to Make Easy Mini Meatballs Step-by-Step

I love making mini meatballs for kids since the serving size is much better suited to their appetites. And they can be a perfect finger food, which can make toddler meals much easier for everyone at the table. Here’s a look at the easy process needed to make this recipe.

Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with foil and nonstick spray to ensure easy clean up later

Place the oats, breadcrumbs, kale (or parsley), onion, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to grind.

Add the rest of the ingredients and grind until thoroughly minced and uniform.

Form into small balls with a 1-tablespoon measuring spoon and place on the prepared baking sheet and bake!

Can I make these meatballs without breadcrumbs?

If you need to make these easy meatballs gluten-free, try using favorite GF breadcrumbs or simply use cornmeal. If you’d like to use grass-fed beef to increase the healthy fats, that is a healthy option and one that will work well here.

Can I freeze mini meatballs to serve later?

You can bake a batch of these healthy meatballs, let them cool, and store in an airtight freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw right in a simmering pot of pasta sauce to serve!

How long should I cook mini meatballs?

This recipe takes about 18-20 minutes to cook, so you can make the whole thing in about 30 minutes. Not too bad for a healthy family dinner! You can of course also make the meat mixture ahead and stick it into the fridge until you’re ready to bake. (Breaking steps up is sometimes necessary when cooking with toddlers around…)

Nutrition in Mini Beef Meatballs

These toddler meatballs have fiber and Vitamin C from the kale, protein from the beef, and extra antioxidants from the onion and garlic. The inclusion of oats adds extra fiber and B vitamins. If you serve them in tomato-based sauce, you’ll add in more Vitamins A and C too! They’d be a great meatball to make for babies in the house too.

I just made these for dinner tonight! I substituted spinach for kale and omitted the cheese (dairy allergy). I added a splash or two of beef stock because I used a blender to pulse the ingredients. The meatballs turned out perfect. I can’t wait for the rest of my crew to indulge!

Do these freeze well after cooking? It would be great to make a big batch on days with extra time, freeze half and reheat for dinner on days with no time. My husband make a fabulous arrabiatta sauce that would pair nicely with these.

Yes, they do freeze well. Just let them cool completely and store them in a zip top freezer bag with as much air removed as possible. Thaw in the bag in the fridge overnight or directly in the sauce (with the sauce on very low). Sounds like a delicious pairing!